This lovely photograph and its accompanying blog post and recipe are from Gather & Dine. Follow the link to access many process photographs and directions.
But I didn’t discover this fabulous item via the G&D blog. Instead, perhaps 20 years ago I was in the big Safeway near our then-house in Northern Virginia. It was getting close to December, and they had that issue of their store magazine out for sale, with recipes showcasing their ingredients and many coupons. I was stopped dead by the illustration on the cover for something called a “biscotti tree.” Alas, I can’t find that image in my files, although I know I had it at one point. Suffice it to say that I was fired with enthusiasm for making it, and I try to do so every year. If it’s December, then I must be making Tiny Tim Cranberry Tarts and Almond-Orange Biscotti Trees!
Here’s the really interesting thing: I’ve only ever seen this recipe/assembly idea in that Safeway magazine and then on the food blog I’m referencing here. That blog’s author, Emily, gives credit for the idea to a website that no longer exists. So it’s just her and me! And it looks to me as though she stopped posting on her blog back in 2018, although her site has an up-to-date copyright notice. So soon it may just be me! I’d better step up my game.